This exciting crime novel had me hooked from page one. It was so twisty and exciting I couldn’t stop reading it. This is a first for me with this author and although it is the fourth in the series it reads as a standalone book. I will certainly be looking out for more by this author. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

There is a serial killer, known as the Bloodsmith, at large. For eighteen months he has evaded the police who are under increasing pressure to solve the case. DI Lucy McVeigh is part of the team tasked with tracking the culprit down. Lucy is not in a good place. She is probably suffering from post traumatic stress, she believes she has a stalker and an old case is haunting her.

This novel follows the usual police procedural route until all hell breaks loose in the final 20%. It is pretty bonkers, to put it mildly, but I loved it. The characters, especially Lucy and her partner, DC Duncan, 'the Dunk' Fraser are well created and their banter is highly entertaining. The pacing is very good and ramps up the intensity. I really can't say much about the ending!

In summary, this was a dark, often very funny and quite thrilling crime read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I loved the Logan McRae books so expected to love this just as much but it didn’t hit the mark for me. The premise was clever but getting there felt a little confused. Still a good read though

I still don't know how I feel about this book.

It started as a classic MacBride with the dark, gruesome plot, strong character's and funny moments. And Stovies.

And then around the 80% mark it took a turn I could never, ever have predicted. At one point I had to stop reading as my head just couldn't keep up with what was going on.

It's certainly a book I'll never forgot but I'm not sure it's for the right reasons.

I think I'll stick to the Logan McRae series from now on.

2.5 stars.

This is my first novel by Stuart MacBride and I really enjoyed this novel. I definitely feel that I will be reading more of this authors books as I loved the style of writing and the descriptions.

We meet main character Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh and she is on the hunt for a serial killer that the press have named "Bloodsmith". It has been 17 months since the Bloodsmiths last kill and basically the police are no way near to catching him.

In this novel there is so much going on that it did take me a while to get into it, but I am so glad that I stuck to my guns and carried on with this novel as it certainly paid off in the end.

Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh is tasked with the trying the crack the Bloodsmith case. Obviously it is not straightforward as Lucy also has other things going on in her life and also a paranoid homeless person asking for her help, so it is fair to say that Lucy is extremely stretched in all directions. I really enjoyed Lucy as a character, especially her interactions with her side kick - Duncan.

A great read and I enjoyed Stuart MacBride's style of writing.

Thanks so much to NetGalley, Stuard MacBride and the publishers for allowing me acopy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book about DS Lucy McVeigh is trying to solve the case of the Bloodsmith killer which has been ongoing for seventeen months interesting and liked the interaction between herself and her partner Dunk.
It was quite dark in places and chilling but keeps you interested in finding out who the killer is as there are lots of twists and you certainly want to know how the creepy school is involved.
As the story unfolded I did struggle at times to understand what was happening and the ending took some believing. and understanding.
I would be interested in a follow up story featuring DS Lucy McVeigh.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a advanced copy.

Having been a fan of the Logan Mcrae series I looked forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint.
The characters are new but the style and the humor remain the same> DS Lucy Mcveigh with her sidekick known as The Dunk is on the trail of a serial killer. Lucy is, as you would expect, quite maverick in her approach whereas The Dunk is more conventional but still trails along in her wake, As the plot unfolds we learn more about the traumas in Lucy's earlier life and we watch as she seems to mentally unravel. The ending is totally unexpected and surprising. This is a book that should appeal to most fans of modern British crime writing and especially those of the Scottish noir genre.

Stuart MacBride’s new novel is bound to stir up some controversy amongst his readers! It’s a book of two distinct parts. The first 80% of the book reads like a traditional hunt for a serial killer, although one imbued with MacBride’s trademark grittiness and sarcastic humour. Someone has committing five brutal murders, including souveniring the hearts of seemingly unconnected strangers in the Scottish town of Oldcastle. After seventeen months, the police investigation is no closer to finding the killer, and the case has now been bumped down the line to DI Turner who instructs DS Lucy McVeigh and her partner DC Duncan (the Dunk) Fraser to review all the evidence to date. His team are also investigate the recent killing of a homeless man found next to the killer’s signature message scrawled on a wall.

While the main plot to date doesn’t have the pace and brilliance of McBride’s Logan MacRae series and it isn’t gripping me yet, there’s also an interesting subplot involving an elite school, some precocious children and a creepy teacher that is looking promising. Then very abruptly, 80% of the wat through the novel, a very unpredictable, twisty shock of a bombshell asks readers to re-interpret everything we thought was happening to Lucy.

Lucy is depicted as a prickly, difficult character who overcame a difficult childhood to go on to become a well respected detective. Her insight and different way of looking at things has often provided the breakthrough needed to solve a crime. However, she is currently suffering PTSD from having recently killed a man in self-defence and is being harassed by his mother who believes she murdered him. To make matters worse, she has a stalker who keeps turning up at her home and work and someone called Charlie from Professional Standards who is trying to get her to talk to him. She is fortunate that she has the relaxed and affable Dunk as her partner and MacBride’s signature snappy dialogue, sarcasm and humour keeps their relationship interesting. After the major twist, the book takes on quite a different flavour.

I did find that I got more accepting of the twist as I read on, but personally I’m not sure the added craziness and stretch of credibility was necessary as the novel was heading for a pretty thrilling ending without it. One thing is for sure, once you get over the initial shock, it’s a wild ride, very original and definitely edgy.

What a gripping first book. Really enjoyed the story and the twist I did not see that coming. So looking forward to reading more about Lucy and her friends. Stuart MacBride never disappoints and I will wait very impatiently for the next book.

I'll start by declaring myself to be a fan of the writing of Stuart MacBride, in particular the Logan McRae series of novels, and thoroughly enjoyed my last read of The Coffin Makers Garden.

I found this a bit of a struggle early on, possibly as I didn't find the main characters to be as easy to like as in previous novels however persevered and was, after a while, quite keen to continue to see where this story would take me. It's certainly a good story although not your typical police procedural but throughout I didn't feel invested in the characters and for this I wouldn't be able to give this the full 5 stars, instead it will get 4 for being an enjoyable read despite my issue with the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this advance review copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

what on earth have i just read....

totally bamboozled by it all...and i think its gonna take me days to even think through it all...

i cant even say if i liked it or not....just very confused by it

I’m a huge fan of the Logan McRae series written by Stuart Macbride so was keen to read his new novel and unfortunately I was disappointed.

I really struggled to connect with the characters........the stereotypical policeman in particular annoyed me and I think because of that I couldn't get into the plot. At times I felt it dragged on and I found it jumped around which was difficult to follow and left me confused about what was going on.

While I wouldn't recommend this one, it definitely doesn't put me off reading the next in the Logan McRae series.

A Stuart MacBride book is always witty and humorous and comes with his trademark dark edge. This book satisfies in the usual way until around three quarters of the way through when it really does lose the plot and goes off in a very peculiar direction and were it not for writing a review I would have been tempted to stop. For the completists amongst us who want to ensure we have read all of the work of the author then its a given, for anyone who has not tried his writings before this would not be the best one to begin with.

DS Lucy McVeigh and 'DC 'The Dunk' Fraser are part of the the searching for a serial killer known as the Bloodsmith on account of the way he kills his victims. The team hasn't had much success in catching him, so Lucy and The Dunk are in the process of revisiting his crime scenes when they find new evidence.
In the meantime, Lucy is being stalked by a bearded bloke who she believes has been hired by the family of a man she killed in a life or death situation one year earlier.. He always seems to be one step ahead of her and she is unable to catch him.
When another body is found, it is tied to the serial killer and clues lead them to a exclusive private school, St Nick's. This is turn is tied to a killer who has been released from jail after 20 years. Lucy knows him as she did her dissertation on him and therefore has a personal interest.
When the cases become blurred and Lucy's steps are dogged by Charlie from professional standards. Can she hold onto everything to solve the case?
Another excellent read from Stuart McBride. More please.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘No Less The Devil’ written by Stuart MacBride in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DS Lucy McVeigh is asked for help by Benedict Strachan who says he’s scared ‘They’ are out to get him. Lucy doesn’t have time for what could be a figment of Strachan’s imagination as she and her partner DC Duncan Fraser aka The Dunk are involved in Operation Maypole as their boss DI Tudor has been handed the job of catching the Bloodsmith who despite other departments having failed to solve is still free after seventeen years to roam their district of Oldcastle, a fictional town in Scotland.

This, the latest thriller by Stuart MacBride, has plenty of black humour and irreverent Scottish jocularity that only Mr MacBride can conjure up. The plot is well-written with interesting and likeable characters, especially Lucy and Dunk whose irreverent dialogue I found hilarious, but although it started out well I couldn’t get into this one as much as I did with either the DI Callum MacGregor or DI Logan McRae series. I enjoyed it more than ‘The Coffinmaker’s Garden’ but not enough to say I actually liked it. This is my own opinion and I’m sure other readers will disagree with me, but I may well give it another try in the next month or so.

I'd not read any books by Stuart MacBride before, but had heard excellent things about this writer of 'Tartan Noir' and approached this book with enthusiasm.

The book centres on Operation Maypole, the Scottish Police's attempt to catch the serial killer they've named the Bloodsmith. It's been 17 months since his first kill and DS Lucy McVeigh is tasked with going over the evidence collected so far in the hope of establishing a new lead. With her partner, the Dunk (DC Dncan Fraser), she revisits crime scenes and uncovers new information - although she is in danger of being distracted by a cry for help from a paranoid prisoner who was previously convicted of killing a homeless man. As the murders continue, Lucy finds herself dealing with forces beyond her own comprehension....

I absolutely loved the majority of this book. The main draw for me was the relationship between Lucy and the Dunk - one that is mildly antagonistic but very funny. The Dunk is a humorous character, dressed all in black like an international man of mystery, yet scarily unfit when it comes to climbing stairs. I loved the scenes with the partners working together and laughed out loud a few times at MacBride's descriptions of people, including the Dunk.

As well as the wonderfully vivid and descriptive language (perhaps too vivid in the case of some of the crime scenes!), MacBride also proves adept at plotting a tense and compelling crime novel. I genuinely raced through this (and it is quite a long book) because there was variety, humour and a very high body count - never a dull moment.

Even when the novel takes some dark turns - and Lucy's past trauma is described in shocking detail - I was totally on board. Everything seemed to be heading for a perfect police procedural and I was totally sold.

So why three stars instead of five? I think this is partly my fault for expecting the novel to fit the genre neatly - I had expectations for the resolution and it just didn't go the way I thought, In fact - without giving spoilers - it takes some unnerving, unexpected and brave paths. I think some readers will absolutely love the denouement - it's clever and interesting - but it was just a little too confusing for me,

However I felt about the latter stages of this novel, I'm definitely keen to read more by MacBride. The humour, characterisation, vibrancy of language and sharp eye for detail absolutely won me over and I've already bought another book to try.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

Quite bizarre! Initally I enjoyed this more than it's predecessor, the Coffinmaker's Daughter. Well written and vivid. Growing to love the character of DS Lucy McVeigh and her search for the bloodsmith. Particularly enjoyed the creepy school, this book had so much potential but i felt the last few chapters had been written by someone else. What some might consider a clever twist, i found confusing and unnecessary.

A book by Stuart Macbride is always good and this one was no exception. Thoroughy enjoyable in the usual OTT, humorous way that he has.
A good deal of rapid action, some miserable impressions of weather and industrial landscapes.
Police procedure is an alien concept as usual, but it all makes for interesting reading.
Some great characters in there, oily, suspicious and some downright criminal.
Loved it.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This book follows DS Lucy McVeigh living in Oldcastle who is working on a serial killer case where ‘The Bloodsmith’ has still not been found after seventeen months.

The investigation is intensified, and Lucy and her partner are ordered to take a look at the crime scenes to see if they can uncover any missing evidence.

Meanwhile Lucy is still dealing with a traumatic experience and trying to support a recently released prisoner who spent time for murdering a homeless man.

Lucy is torn between all she is dealing with but must work through everything to discover the truth.

What will Lucy discover and is all as it seems? Will they find the Bloodsmith before more victims are discovered?

I must firstly say that this book has one of the creepiest beginnings I have ever read, it had me gripped straight from the start as I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

I liked the way the characters were portrayed with black humour and straight forward talking which made them seem very realistic. I loved the work relationship between Lucy and ‘Dunk’.

One thing I would say, and I will try and do this without any spoilers, is that there is a certain revelation towards the end that made the storyline less believable for me personally. I thought the book was amazing up to this point and then I found myself getting very confused, and even though there are clues leading up to it I didn’t feel it fit.

I would still love to read more books by this author as I was engrossed throughout, and the writing was brilliant.

Overall, a brilliantly written crime thriller with an eerie and dark feel.

For a story about detectives investigating a brutal serial killer, this was a surprisingly unexpected twist on the typical police procedural. DS Lucy McVeigh is not your typical police hero and is deeply flawed following a disturbed childhood and a more recent traumatic event. Also, a man who committed murder as a child has been released from prison and is showing signs of psychological distress. Added into the mix is a sinister Hogwarts-like super-selective school which appears to be educating the future elite and whose reach is extending into the main pillars of the establishment. The mix of an unreliable narrator and the complex and interlinking storylines is almost too rich at times but the writing is highly compelling and very funny at times.